Abidjan’s metro line 1: the biggest public transport infrastructure project in Sub Saharan Africa

With nearly 6 million inhabitants, public transport is a major challenge for the megacity of Abidjan.  There was a strong demand for an improved network, both in terms of quantity and quality, from the various towns that make up its districts, particularly from the population of the North-South axis. To meet these expectations to optimize existing transport system, the Abidjan Metro Line 1 project was first raised in the 2010s.

The objective of this project is to ease traffic flows and congestion while providing fast, safe, and more sustainable transport services to the population. 

The metro line will run through the North-South axis of Abidjan, from Anyama Centre to Abidjan Airport, over 37km, in surface and include 18 stations, 24 bridges, 1 viaduct, 34 pedestrian gateways and 8 underground passages. 

As a sustainable transport solution, Abidjan Metro Line 1 will bring economic, social as well as environmental benefits:
- Fostering connections between the metro, buses, taxis, cars and other soft modes (pedestrians and cyclists) will facilitate the moves and overall quality of life of 530,000 people each day. 
- Widening the range of transport options contributes to reducing the cost of living and providing a sustainable mobility solution for Abidjan's poorest residents living in the outskirts of the city. 
- Boosting the local economy as the construction will create 2,000 employments.
- Contributing to lower atmospheric and noise pollutions, reduced carbon emission and fewer car crashes. 

Societe Generale acted as Lead Coordinating Bank, Sole Underwriter, Bookrunner, Mandated Lead Arranger, and Co-Lender in this EUR 1,77 bn financing, to design, build, operate and ensure the maintenance of the metro line. Additionally, Societe Generale played an important part in the Environmental & Social (E&S) structuring of the transaction and contributed to improve the design of the project to align it to, as much as possible, to the best E&S norms. This illustrates the Group’s commitment towards financing projects to accelerate its contribution to the environmental transition and, more broadly, to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Societe Generale's role in financing this major public transportation solution in Sub-Saharan Africa also demonstrates its position as a leading trustable partner in infrastructure financing on the continent, in the fields of transport, environment, energy production and distribution, health and telecoms.